Wolfe Ranch And Ute Indian Petroglyphs At Arches National Park
Just steps from the trailhead of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park lies the homestead of John Wesley Wolfe.
Wolfe Ranch, also known as Turnbow Cabin, was settled by John and his oldest son Fred in 1898. He left his wife and other three children in Ohio to establish the ranch on a 100+ acre property along Salt Wash near Moab.
They built a little cabin, a corral, and a small dam for the nearby water source to grow crops and raise cattle.
In 1906, Wolf’s daughter, Flora Stanley, along with her husband and their children, joined them on the ranch. A new cabin was built that the 6 of them shared and that structure is what remains today.
It was a tight fit for the group considering the one-room cabin only measures 17 feet by 15 feet. The remains of the original corral and root cellar can also be seen on-site.
In 1908 the family moved to Moab and sold the ranch in 1910 returning to Ohio to live.
The freshwater spring is still there and flowing today. Wolfe Ranch is a nice piece of history preserved for the public and will only take a few minutes of your time to explore while on your way to the main attraction of the trail.
You can learn more about Wolfe and his family and the history of the ranch after they sold it on the NPS website.
After wrapping up your tour of Wolfe Ranch be sure to check out the short spur trail to your left to check out some cool petroglyphs.
These petroglyphs are believed to be Ute images carved sometime between A.D. 1650 and 1850. These are fantastic examples of typical Ute Indian artwork. The panel depicts bighorn sheep and dog-like animals surrounding riders on horseback.
Once you have finished admiring the artwork a trail leads you right back to the main trail for Delicate Arch. These are both quick stops well worth your time before starting that epic climb to the iconic arch.
